The New President

20 January 2009

I’m not normally one for politics or sentiment but today was quite a big day, even for a limey in Chicago.

We gathered in a large meeting room in a corner of the office at about 10.30am to watch the beginnings of the Inauguration Ceremony. Whilst watching it was hard not to get swept up in the occasion of it all and I kept wondering how this sort of ceremonial celebration would go down in the UK. Somehow I can’t imagine Gordon Brown or David Cameron being received as warmly as Barack Obama was today. And how many people have you seen crying when a new Prime Minister is elected?

But there’s a lot to love about the pomp and ceremony. The speech Mr Obama gave was very good — admittedly, it’s the first Presidential Inauguration speech I’ve witnessed — and obviously moved a lot of the crowd to tears. There does seem to be a real sense of change and hope abound.

I wish the new President good luck and know I will look back on today when I’m grey and old!